Bible: Gen 17:1-16

The Sign of the Covenant

17:1WhenAbramwas 99yearsold,1the Lordappearedtohimand said,2 “Iam the sovereignGod.3Walk4beforeme5 and beblameless.617:2Then I will confirmmy covenant7betweenme and you, and I will giveyou a multitudeof descendants.”8

17:3Abrambowed downwithhis faceto the ground,9and Godsaidto him,1017:4“As for me,11this12 ismy covenantwithyou: You will bethe fatherof a multitudeof nations.17:5Nolongerwill your namebe13 Abram. Instead, your namewill beAbraham14becauseI will makeyou15 the fatherof a multitudeof nations.17:6I will make you16 extremely17fruitful. I will makenationsof you, and kingswill descendfromyou.1817:7Iwill confirm19my covenantas a perpetual20covenantbetweenme and you. It will extend to your descendantsafteryou throughout their generations. I will beyour God and the Godof your descendantsafteryou.2117:8I will givethe wholelandof Canaan– the landwhere you are now residing22 – to you and your descendantsafteryou as a permanent23possession. I will betheir God.”

17:9Then Godsaidto Abraham, “As for you, you must keep24the covenantalrequirement25 I am imposingon youand your descendantsafteryou throughout their generations.17:10Thisis my requirementthatyou and your descendantsafteryou must keep:26 Everymaleamong you must be circumcised.2717:11You must circumcisethe fleshof your foreskins. This will bea reminder28of the covenantbetweenme and you.17:12Throughout your generationseverymaleamong you who is eightdaysold29 must be circumcised, whether bornin your houseor boughtwith moneyfrom anyforeignerwhois notone of your descendants.17:13They must indeed becircumcised,30whether bornin your houseor boughtwith money. The sign of my covenant31will bevisible in your fleshas a permanent32reminder.17:14Any uncircumcisedmale33whohas notbeen circumcisedin the fleshof his foreskinwill be cut off34from his people– he has failedto carry out my requirement.”35

17:15Then GodsaidtoAbraham, “As for your wife, you must no longercallher Sarai;36Sarah37will be her name.17:16I will blessher and will giveyou a sonthrough her. I will blessher and she will becomea mother of nations.38Kingsof countries39will comefromher!”